Read Works
The What and Who of Elections
As citizens living in the United States, it is our civil duty to vote. But how does the voting process work? After reading a five-paragraph passage on the basics of elections and voting, young constituents respond to 10 questions...
PBS
Sherpas on Everest
Every successful climb of Mount Everest can be attributed to the assistance of the local Sherpas. A short, informative article explains the history behind the Sherpa's involvement in Mount Everest expeditions, the physiological reasons...
International Literacy Association
Ila: Unlocking the Power of Informational Text With Five Creative Ideas
Five easy ways to help unlock the power of informational text for all students.
CommonLit
Common Lit: Election Choices: 2008
CommonLit.org is a wonderful resource to use in a Language Arts classroom. Each story or article is accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. In addition, students can click on words to see...
Reading Rockets
Reading Rockets: How to Read Nonfiction Text
Kids love to read about real people, places, and events. Nonfiction books present real information in engaging and interesting ways. However, most kids read a lot more fiction than nonfiction, so spend some extra time helping your reader...
Reading Rockets
Reading Rockets: 103 Things to Do Before/during/after Reading
The highly-respected Reading Rockets program offers both teachers and students a toolkit of ways to connect more actively with the materials they read. Some of these techniques are specifically for fiction-reading, others are designed...
Read Works
Read Works: City Life and Country Life
[Free Registration/Login Required] Intended to support early elementary students' reading comprehension, differences between the "country" and the "city" environments are explained in an informational text. Visual cues are provided to...
Read Works
Read Works: Passages: "Dancing Ganesha"
[Free Registration/Login Required] The passage "Dancing Ganesha" from the Philadelphia Museum of Art, focuses on a sculpture of Ganesha, a beloved Hindu god who is believed to bring good fortune and success in all daily activities. A...
Read Works
Read Works: Passages:"new Orleans and the History of Jazz "By Loren Schoenberg
[Free Registration/Login Required] This article "New Orleans and the History of Jazz "by LorenSchoenberg focuses on the beginnings of New Orleans and its history of Jazz. A comprehension question set follows the passage. 11-12.3 Text...
Read Works
Read Works: Passages: "Zebra Mussels and the Hudson River"
[Free Registration/Login Required] The information passage "Zebra Mussels and the Hudson River" focuses on the Hudson River ecosystem and how the introduction of Zebra Mussels would impact it. A Step Read, an easier version of the...
Read Works
Read Works: Walt Disney Goes to War by Lisa Briner
[Free Registration/Login Required] This passage is about Walt Disney's contribution to winning World War II based on information provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Public Affairs. It is followed by a comprehension...
Read Works
Read Works: Stuck in the Icy Ocean by Kate Paixao
[Free Registration/Login Required] This passage is about Ernest Shackleton's expedition to Antarctica, the problems he faced, and how he solved them. A comprehension question set and vocabulary information for the words courage, rescue,...
Read Works
Read Works: Passages: "Who Wants a Spiny Snack?"
[Free Registration/Login Required] The passage "Who Wants a Spiny Snack?" focuses on the Pufferfish and how it has adapted to protect itself from predators in the ocean. A comprehension question set with answer key is provided. A Step...
Read Works
Read Works: Passages: "The Rise of Oxygen in the Earth's Atmosphere"
[Free Registration/Login Required] The article "The Rise of Oxygen in the Earth's Atmosphere" from the American Museum of Natural History focuses on when the rise of oxygen in the earth's atmosphere began. A Step Read, a question set,...
Reading Rockets
Reading Rockets: The Foundations for Reading
What are the foundations for reading? Come and explore this informative article to discover the answer to this question.
Read Works
Read Works: What's the Big Idea About Anthropology?: Studying Cultures
[Free Registration/Login Required] Intended to support elementary students' reading comprehension, the meaning of the term "anthropology" is explained in this informational text. Graphic features are provided in this text.
Scholastic
Scholastic: Investigating Nonfiction Part 3: Independent and Guided Reading
This article provides tips for using nonfiction with guided reading and independent reading. The following strategies are shared: ways to help kids select "just right" nonfiction books; lessons to use with nonfiction in guided reading...
Reading Rockets
Reading Rockets: Teach Expository Text Structure to Facilitate Comprehension
Expository text can be challenging to young readers because of the unfamiliar concepts and vocabulary it presents. Discover ways to help your students analyze expository text structures and pull apart the text to uncover the main idea...
Read Works
Read Works: Passages: "Spinning Storms"
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about tornados written on the 2nd grade reading level. The text is followed by ten comprehension questions in multiple choice or extended response format. A link to answers is...
Read Works
Read Works: Terrific Toucans by Kate Paixao
[Free Registration/Login Required] This informational passage is about toucans and is followed by a comprehension question set.
Read Works
Read Works: What's Up in Space?
[Free Registration/Login Required] This nonfiction passage discusses what is up in outer space. This passage reinforces essential reading comprehension skills. Opportunities for vocabulary acquisition are also included. Several questions...
CommonLit
Common Lit: "The Road to American Independence" by Jessica Mc Birney
This informational text recounts America's road to independence, starting from the beginning of English colonization in North America and ending with the final battle of the American Revolution. A specific purpose for reading and...
Other
Carson Newman College: Critical Reading of an Essay's Argument
Extensive examination of what it means to critically read an argument. This process is sometimes called "critical reading," or "close reading," or "active reading." First the differences between reading to extract information and reading...
CommonLit
Common Lit: "When Good People Do Bad Things" by Ann Trafton
In this informational text, Rebecca Saxe, associate professor of cognitive neuroscience at MIT, and her colleagues conducted an experiment to study the way people behave in groups. A specific purpose for reading and vocabulary notes are...